Posts Tagged ‘Sales & Marketing’

There’s nothing quite like the atmosphere of a well-run, well-attended trade show. Each one gives a niche group the opportunity to see exciting new products and to learn about a specific industry through seminars and classes. Social events help build personal networks and establish on-going friendships. And marketers have the chance to showcase the very best of what their company has to offer. But the reality is, not everyone can attend a trade show. It can be expensive, time-consuming, and inconvenient. So, what can exhibitors do to broaden their message beyond the convention hall doors? Video.

If you are an exhibitor, video is a great way to communicate your marketing message to passers-by on the trade show floor. However, video can also be used to expand your reach to those who weren’t able to attend. Short, informative recap videos from the convention hall are an excellent way to give potential customers a glimpse of the trade show atmosphere. Although watching a video isn’t the same as actually being there, consumers will (in a way) be able to share in that trade show experience by watching your recap videos. They can see the convention hall. They can “meet” you and your team. They can learn about the new products your company introduced. Your time while at the trade show was spent trying to excite the public about your company, products, and services. Now it’s time to do the same for those potential customers who weren’t able to attend. Here are some things to keep in mind:

Hire a designated cameraman. If you have ever worked an exhibitor booth at a trade show, you know that things are hectic. Company reps have dozens of people they need to talk to. They don’t have time to stop, pick up a camera, and start shooting video. Invest in hiring a video professional who can spend his/her time solely on shooting footage and conducting interviews.

Use a knowledgeable spokesperson. Designate someone from your team who can speak confidently on-camera about your company and new products. Some people are great one-on-one, but don’t have that same confidence when speaking in front of a video camera. Also, select a veteran from your team, someone who knows the product(s) inside and out; someone that existing contacts and customers will recognize. Having your “President of Product Development” speak on-camera lends credibility to the video. It also says to the viewer, “These new products are so amazing that the President of Product Development came down personally to the trade show to talk about how awesome this stuff is.”

Audio, audio, audio. Trade show floors are crowded and noisy. You will definitely need to use a hand-held microphone or lavaliere microphone when conducting interviews. If the trade show floor is just too chaotic, schedule some time before the convention halls open, or right after they close, to conduct your interviews. It also isn’t a bad idea to have a second audio recorder on-hand as a back-up.

Keep a low profile. Did I mention that trade shows are crowded? Sometimes attendees and exhibitors are right on top of each other, so you don’t want to impede the flow of foot traffic down the aisles. When shooting your video, tell your cameraman to pack light. You won’t need an entire lighting setup, dolly, camera jib, c-stands, flags, and an entire crew. Your video team just needs enough to capture good audio and a professionally composed, exposed image.

Get permission. Each trade show has different rules about video and photography. Find out what the specific policies are. Be open and honest with the trade show administration about your plans for video. If you are forbidden to shoot any video during the actual event, perhaps you can grab interviews outside the convention hall. Perhaps you can shoot before or after the trade show. Perhaps your company is hosting an after-hours reception. You can capture any necessary interviews then. There is always a solution to the problem.

Trade shows are definitely a great opportunity to build sales leads and expand your network. But why should you stop once the trade show floor closes and all the exhibitors have packed up? Invest in video and you can take the trade show back with you and broaden your reach among potential customers.

I usually fill out an NCAA basketball tournament bracket, even though I don’t watch the regular season very closely. I think there are others who can say the same. So what is it about March Madness that draws so much interest, even from those who don’t consider themselves basketball fanatics?

I believe that the allure lies in the idea of community.The tournament has a knack for bringing people together. We want to compare our bracket with others. We want to compete. We want to cheer for something. We want to brag when our bracket holds up better than the next guy. And we want to share our frustrations with someone else, whose bracket crumbled as quickly as ours. March Madness promotes a singular mindset and singular focus. And AT&T has tapped beautifully into this spirit of camaraderie with their “Brackets By Six Year Olds” campaign. I love this series of videos. In each episode a journalist interviews children to get their insight into each college team. See below:

There are some marketing lessons that can be gleaned from this campaign, and from March Madness in general:

Be Community-Oriented. As stated above, March Madness builds community. Your marketing efforts should do the same. Cultivate an environment that makes it easy for clients and customers to talk to each other and to you. People like to be around others with a similar interest. Everyone knows that March Madness will happen every single year. Perhaps you can create some kind of event, promotion, etc. that happens on a regular basis. Maybe it’s a training class or giveaway. You can also create an online community, in the form of a Google+ hangout, forum, group, or webinar. Whatever it is, create something with a singular focus that clients and customers can look forward to.

Be Timely. AT&T decided to “piggy-back” on an already popular event to create a great marketing campaign. Knowing that people are heavily interested in the NCAA tournament, AT&T capitalized and produced videos centered on that event. You might look at ways that you can take advantage of pre-existing events to boost the conversation around your brand.

Be Imaginative. Nothing will help your brand stand out like a unique perspective. And children have the greatest imaginations. Consider Sony’s recent ad, directed by Wes Anderson (but written by an 8 year old). AT&T tapped into the minds of children to create some wonderfully imaginative perspective on college athletics. And that kind of imagination draws people in, because who doesn’t find the mind of a child cute, funny, and remarkable? Now, this doesn’t mean that you need to utilize a bunch of children into your next marketing campaign, but it is important to communicate an interesting point-of-view to your audience.

Perhaps you have ventured into the online video arena by uploading a little bit of content to your website, YouTube channel, or Facebook page, and now, you’re interested in learning how to make the most of these efforts. I came across some advice from Kelly Wallace (Chief Correspondent and Head of Video for iVillage) while watching an episode of The New Media Minute, hosted by Daisy Whitney. iVillage is one of the most popular sites on the Internet, ranging anywhere from 26-30 million unique visitors per month. Over the past few months they have been increasing the amount of video content they produce for the site. Currently, videos on iVillage generate 4 million views per month. Here’s what Wallace had to say for those interested in adding more video to their site:

Start out small. Video is more expensive to produce than written content so don’t try to bite off more than your advertising budget can chew. If you start out small and invest just enough to get you up and running you can easily see what works and what doesn’t work. Then, as you familiarize yourself with the process and you work out the kinks in your format, you can begin to invest more and more into the production and post-production of your videos.

If you have a variety of video content than spans different themes, think about organizing this content into playlists or channels, to help viewers find what they’re looking for.

Think about creating regularly scheduled programming so your viewers know when to expect newly released content. Much like a TV schedule, you can set up to release videos on theme #1 on Mondays, while Theme #2 is released on Friday. The more familiar your audience becomes with the schedule and with the on-camera talent, the more they will begin to relate to you, your people, your brand, and your topics.

Video is an extension of your brand. It’s another way you can reach your potential customer. But remember that the quality, the format, and the value of the content will ultimately reflect back on your brand and will effect how the public perceives you. Think out your video strategy carefully and be diligent to produce the best possible content you can.

Now, more than ever, consumers want advertisers to speak WITH them, not AT them. A disconnect has formed between advertisers and consumers, because…

consumers feel as though brands aren’t really listening to them

that brands don’t really understand them

that brands aren’t willing to adapt their products/services based on consumer feedback

So, the way in which companies approach commercials and marketing videos has to shift. This is illustrated well in a short video that we posted to this blog last year, entitled The Break Up. Based on this change in attitude and behaviors, marketers and video producers have to be more focused on providing viewers with an experience. Tell them a story. The old marketing strategy (shove your product front-and-center and brag about how awesome it is) isn’t effective in drawing viewers in. Don’t misunderstand: There’s still a place for showcasing all that a product or service can do for a consumer, but companies have to be a bit more creative in how that message is communicated.

Even before YouTube, BMW was already buying into this strategy by creating a series of short films, starring Clive Owen as The Driver. Each episode featured Clive Owen driving a BMW vehicle, but the car wasn’t the focus of the story. The car was simply IN the story. If you had taken the BMW out and put any other car in, each episode still would have worked. There’s a reason why ancient philosophers, prophets, and teachers used parables to instruct; it’s because people learn and retain information best through stories. Think about how you can utilize storytelling techniques in your own videos to market your company, products, and services.

Southwestern Consulting is a company committed to developing sales leaders through business coaching services. They were ready to produce an updated testimonial video and hired us to produce a new video with a more professional, polished look. We spent a day shooting five different Southwestern clients and edited their comments into a cohesive overview of the positive impact a business coach can have on an individual’s career.